Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » mojave deserthttp://inhabitat.com
Green design & eco innovation for a better worldSun, 02 Aug 2015 18:51:28 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2Build Your Own Disaster-Proof Earth Home Using Materials of Warhttp://inhabitat.com/build-your-own-disaster-proof-earth-home-using-materials-of-war/
http://inhabitat.com/build-your-own-disaster-proof-earth-home-using-materials-of-war/#commentsWed, 08 Oct 2014 12:27:05 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=694369Just four years before the 1979 Islamic revolution, Nader Khalili abandoned his career building fancy high rises and other conventional structures and set off into the desert of Iran on a motorbike to learn more about traditional earth construction. He was]]>

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]]>http://inhabitat.com/build-your-own-disaster-proof-earth-home-using-materials-of-war/feed/3Aerofex Develops a Working Hover Bike That’s Straight Out of Return of the Jedi!http://inhabitat.com/aerofex-develops-a-working-hover-bike-thats-straight-out-of-return-of-the-jedi/
http://inhabitat.com/aerofex-develops-a-working-hover-bike-thats-straight-out-of-return-of-the-jedi/#commentsSun, 14 Sep 2014 13:15:04 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=428055How many of you watched Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and wished you had a speeder bike like the ones Luke and Leia race through the forests of Endor? Well, you may not have to wait much longer. California-based tech company Aerofex has released a video of]]>

How many of you watchedStar Wars: Return of the Jedi and wished you had a speeder bike like the ones Luke and Leia race through the forests of Endor? Well, you may not have to wait much longer. California-based tech company Aerofex has released a video of it new bike, which flies over the ground thanks to two large fans. Test flights so far have been limited to 30 mph, so while it might not be ready for a high-speed chase through the forest, it still looks pretty awesome!

]]>http://inhabitat.com/aerofex-develops-a-working-hover-bike-thats-straight-out-of-return-of-the-jedi/feed/6Chic BlueSky Home Soaks Up the Sun to Make Desert Life Easy and Efficienthttp://inhabitat.com/industrial-chic-bluesky-home-soaks-up-the-sun-to-make-desert-life-easy-and-efficient/
http://inhabitat.com/industrial-chic-bluesky-home-soaks-up-the-sun-to-make-desert-life-easy-and-efficient/#commentsThu, 21 Aug 2014 15:29:43 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=682657This 1,000 sq ft desert oasis is the first prototype for a new flat-pack, prefab line of homes that minimize transportation and promote sustainability. Its shape was inspired by Le Corbusier’s “Domino” house, featuring a simple structure of columns]]>

]]>http://inhabitat.com/industrial-chic-bluesky-home-soaks-up-the-sun-to-make-desert-life-easy-and-efficient/feed/0Aaron D’Innocenzo Built this Green Desert Home by Himself in Eight Yearshttp://inhabitat.com/aaron-dinnocenzo-built-this-green-desert-home-by-himself-in-eight-years/
http://inhabitat.com/aaron-dinnocenzo-built-this-green-desert-home-by-himself-in-eight-years/#commentsFri, 25 Jul 2014 15:30:26 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=528888It took a full eight years for Aaron to finish building his striking 148 square meter home in the Mojave Desert since he used no contractors, sub-contractors or helpers to get the job done. And it was worth every minute - at least we think so.
Related:]]>

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]]>http://inhabitat.com/aaron-dinnocenzo-built-this-green-desert-home-by-himself-in-eight-years/feed/2The World’s Largest Solar Plant is Frying Birdshttp://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-largest-solar-plant-is-frying-birds-should-we-worry/
http://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-largest-solar-plant-is-frying-birds-should-we-worry/#commentsWed, 19 Feb 2014 21:44:11 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=617300The world’s largest solar power plant, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, officially opened for business a few days ago, but not all environmentalists are happy about it. The plant consists of 350,000 mirrors spread across 5 square miles, and]]>

The world’s largest solar power plant, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, officially opened for business a few days ago, but not all environmentalists are happy about it. The plant consists of 350,000 mirrors spread across 5 square miles, and it works by concentrating sunlight to boil water in a series of enormous towers hooked up to steam generators. That incredible amount of heat does more than just generate power, however; it also fries any birds that happen to fly over the plant.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-largest-solar-plant-is-frying-birds-should-we-worry/feed/9Ivanpah: The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Plant Just Switched Online for the First Timehttp://inhabitat.com/ivanpah-worlds-largest-solar-thermal-plant-officially-goes-in-service-today/
http://inhabitat.com/ivanpah-worlds-largest-solar-thermal-plant-officially-goes-in-service-today/#commentsSun, 16 Feb 2014 19:50:22 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=615424Jointly created between NRG Energy, Inc., Google, and BrightSource Energy, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest solar project of its kind and accounts for nearly a third of all solar thermal energy produced in the U.S. Stretching across]]>

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]]>http://inhabitat.com/ivanpah-worlds-largest-solar-thermal-plant-officially-goes-in-service-today/feed/8Super Resilient DesertSol House by Team Las Vegas Captures the Mojave Desert’s Sun and Soulhttp://inhabitat.com/super-resilient-desertsol-house-by-team-las-vegas-captures-the-mojave-deserts-sun-and-soul/
http://inhabitat.com/super-resilient-desertsol-house-by-team-las-vegas-captures-the-mojave-deserts-sun-and-soul/#commentsWed, 25 Sep 2013 16:00:54 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=525173Team Las Vegas is made up of 60 students from various disciplines and already they have shown themselves to be highly organized and poised to win with a design that is not only befitting to the Mojave desert site for which it is intended, but also complementary.]]>

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]]>http://inhabitat.com/super-resilient-desertsol-house-by-team-las-vegas-captures-the-mojave-deserts-sun-and-soul/feed/0LEED Gold Mojave Rivers Ranger Station Helps the Forest Service Protect the Mojave Deserthttp://inhabitat.com/leed-gold-mojave-rivers-ranger-station-helps-the-forest-service-protect-the-mojave-desert/
http://inhabitat.com/leed-gold-mojave-rivers-ranger-station-helps-the-forest-service-protect-the-mojave-desert/#commentsThu, 18 Oct 2012 19:40:41 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=449987The Mojave Rivers Ranger Station was designed to convey the Forest Service's conservation roots and the work it does to protect the land. Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects came up with a plan that would help blend the district headquarters in with the surrounding]]>

]]>http://inhabitat.com/leed-gold-mojave-rivers-ranger-station-helps-the-forest-service-protect-the-mojave-desert/feed/1Perplexing “Yucca Crater” Will Be a Deep Desert Pool Using Repurposed Materialshttp://inhabitat.com/perplexing-yucca-crater-will-be-a-deep-desert-pool-using-repurposed-materials/
http://inhabitat.com/perplexing-yucca-crater-will-be-a-deep-desert-pool-using-repurposed-materials/#commentsFri, 26 Aug 2011 17:56:03 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=292539Ball Nogues’ project, Talus Dome, is a carefully constructed “pile” of stainless steel spheres on the side of a freeway in Edmonton, Alberta. To create the shape, and elaborate mold was engineered from wood. Using this framework, Ball Nogues conceived]]>

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]]>http://inhabitat.com/perplexing-yucca-crater-will-be-a-deep-desert-pool-using-repurposed-materials/feed/0EcoTech Builds Breathtaking Shipping Container Home in the Heart of the Mojave Deserthttp://inhabitat.com/ecotech-builds-breathtaking-shipping-container-home-in-the-heart-of-the-mojave-desert/
http://inhabitat.com/ecotech-builds-breathtaking-shipping-container-home-in-the-heart-of-the-mojave-desert/#commentsFri, 22 Apr 2011 23:06:26 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=242332The spacious two-story hybrid home was adapted to fit the media client’s needs with a separate photo studio and a large storage building on either end of the main structure. Ecotech built the residence using recycled steel and five 20’ long repurposed]]>

]]>http://inhabitat.com/ecotech-builds-breathtaking-shipping-container-home-in-the-heart-of-the-mojave-desert/feed/3Discreet Desert Eco Homes Planned for the Mojave Deserthttp://inhabitat.com/discreet-desert-eco-homes-planned-for-palm-springs-area/
http://inhabitat.com/discreet-desert-eco-homes-planned-for-palm-springs-area/#commentsThu, 06 Jan 2011 19:20:28 +0000http://inhabitat.com/?p=205538The 15-acre plot of land set aside for the desert home community has been subdivided into 18 plots, each almost 1 acre in size. In order to minimize the disturbance on the desert landscape, roads and driveways have been sited discreetly and paved naturallly.]]>

]]>http://inhabitat.com/discreet-desert-eco-homes-planned-for-palm-springs-area/feed/2Brightsource Energy Gets $1.4 Billion Loan for Massive Solar Thermal Complexhttp://inhabitat.com/brightsource-energy-gets-1-4-billion-loan-for-massive-solar-thermal-complex/
http://inhabitat.com/brightsource-energy-gets-1-4-billion-loan-for-massive-solar-thermal-complex/#commentsTue, 23 Feb 2010 17:30:56 +0000http://www.inhabitat.com/?p=88946Solar power got a big boost this week with news that the U.S. government is guaranteeing $1.37 billion in loans to BrightSource Energy for the construction of three solar thermal plants in the Mojave Desert. The plants are expected to generate 400 megawatts]]>

Solar power got a big boost this week with news that the U.S. government is guaranteeing $1.37 billion in loans to BrightSource Energy for the construction of three solar thermal plants in the Mojave Desert. The plants are expected to generate 400 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 140,000 homes — in what is being called the world’s largest solar energy project.

]]>http://inhabitat.com/brightsource-energy-gets-1-4-billion-loan-for-massive-solar-thermal-complex/feed/3World’s Largest Solar Power Plant Coming To CA Mojave Deserthttp://inhabitat.com/mojave-desert-solar-power-fields/
http://inhabitat.com/mojave-desert-solar-power-fields/#commentsThu, 10 Apr 2008 09:46:39 +0000http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/10/mojave-desert-solar-power-fields/With California utilities expanding rapidly into renewables, the Mojave Desert is one of the hottest spots for solar energy. Last year, plans for the world's largest solar array got underway in this ideal energy harvesting setting and the latest news is just]]>

With California utilities expanding rapidly into renewables, the Mojave Desert is one of the hottest spots for solar energy. Last year, plans for the world’s largest solar array got underway in this ideal energy harvesting setting and the latest news is just as groundbreaking. Pacific Gas and Electric recently signed the world’s largest solar deal to date, teaming up with BrightSource Energy to produce three new solar-thermal electric plants for a whopping 500 megawatts of clean green power. The $2 to $3 billion dollar deal provides options for additional plants (up to 900 megawatts total), which would be enough to power 375,000 Californian homes!